Free printable resource

End of Life Planning Sheet

None of these questions get easier to answer on the day. Most of them get considerably harder.

By the Buddylio Editorial Team Published August 20, 2026 Updated August 20, 2026

This sheet does not score quality of life or tell you when a decision should be made. That requires an individual conversation with a veterinarian. It helps you record practical preferences, questions and phone numbers before you need them urgently.

Who this is for: Owners of dogs with a terminal or advanced condition, and the hospice and rescue teams supporting them.

The conversation to have with your vet first

Ask these at an ordinary appointment, well before you think you need to.

Given what she has, what does the likely course look like from here?
Which specific changes would tell us things have moved on?
What can we do at home to keep her comfortable, and when does that stop being enough?
Do you offer home visits, and if so with how much notice?
What happens if this becomes urgent outside your opening hours?
Is there anything you would want to rule out before we treat this as end of life?

Decide these in advance

Write the answers down and tell everyone in the household. A decision that lives only in one person's head is not a decision.

Where: home, clinic, or either depending on the day
Who will be present
Whether children will be present, and what they have been told
Who drives, so nobody has to drive alone afterwards
Which practice, and the out of hours number
Afterwards: burial, individual cremation, communal cremation
Whether you want ashes returned, and to which address
Anything you want kept: a paw print, a collar, fur
Who to tell afterwards, so you do not have to repeat it

What to have ready near the phone

What	Why it matters at the time
Practice name, number and opening hours	Written down, not in a phone that may be on charge in another room
Out of hours or emergency clinic, with the address	The address matters more than the number if someone else is driving
Whether the practice can attend at home, and the notice needed	Home visits often need booking further ahead than people expect
Current medication list	Whoever attends will ask, and it may not be you who answers
Preferred aftercare provider	Clinics usually work with one, but you can choose otherwise
Rough costs, asked about in advance	Not mercenary. Being surprised by a bill on that day is its own distress

If there are children in the house

Decide in advance what they will be told and who tells them, rather than improvising it on the day. Veterinary teaching hospitals publish guidance written specifically for this, including a printable sheet from the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, and it is worth reading before rather than after.

Plain language tends to be kinder than euphemism. Children who are told a dog was put to sleep sometimes become frightened of sleeping, or of anaesthesia for themselves.

Sources

Written against published veterinary guidance. These are the sources behind the urgency and observation guidance on this page.

12 Things Pet Owners Should Know About End of Life Care for Dogs and Cats, American Animal Hospital Association
The End of Life Event, American Animal Hospital Association
Pet Euthanasia, American Veterinary Medical Association
Helping Children Cope with the Serious Illness or Death of a Companion Animal, The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center
Facts About Euthanasia (Small Animals), Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Buddylio helps you notice and organize what you see. It doesn't diagnose or treat anything, and it isn't a substitute for your veterinarian. If you think your dog is unwell, in pain, or in danger, call your vet or an emergency clinic.